The wall hanging is a poem describing the loneliness and quiet of the dawn in which a fisherman begins to cast his nets. Liang bought the piece on a visit to China in 1996.
The mythic clay figure, bought in Xian, China, in 1967, traditionally sat outside a house of business. It possesses no buttocks because it eats but never defecates—denoting a successful businessman who will make money but never spend it.
The floors, installed by the Sullivan Source, are engineered mer-
bau, sustainably cultivated in Indonesia. The open-riser staircase has Honduran mahogany treads, suspended
on cold-rolled steel.
The Milly suspension light is from Sistemalux, sourced by Dubbeldam because its shape and translucence resembled a Chinese lantern.
Liang created this painting in 2007, specifically for its place on the kitchen wall.
The granite fireplace is finished with a polished plaster strié by Lining Arts.
Liang bought the stylized human figure, made in Ivory Coast, at a trade show in Toronto in 1982.
The leather and stainless steel Wassily chair, designed by Marcel Breuer in 1927, was made under licence in Italy to original specifications and purchased from Palazzetti in 1994.
The 1920s Eileen Gray E1027 side table was bought from Palazzetti in 1993.
This lithograph, printed in 1956, was given to Liang by his father, Allen, who
collected Chinese art.
Roll your mouse over the red squares to read about this space.
May Wu was the first in the family to own the little house. For 10 years, the widow and her daughter lived in its warren of cramped rooms overlooking the Gothic turrets of Casa Loma’s stables. Then, doing what mothers inevitably do, she moved to a condo. Her son, David Liang, a graphic artist and designer, decided to buy it. He loved the escarpment location, with its framed view of Sir Henry Pellatt’s fantastical folly, but he’s a minimalist at heart, horrified at the notion of wainscotting and textured wallcoverings. “I couldn’t stay in those rooms,” he says. “I wanted lots of light, clean lines and open space, a Zen feel to everything.” A friend introduced Liang to architect Heather Dubbeldam, whose portfolio seduced him on sight. Dubbeldam eliminated most of the walls, expanded the windows and opened up an attic that was, she recalls, “populated by dead animals and dust.” A substantial mezzanine now holds a studio, where Liang works, and a separate den. The ceiling of the 1,650-square-foot space follows the peaked gables of the roofline, and L-shaped elements—the fireplace and kitchen counters—add definition without crowding. “We needed to display David’s Asian art and other pieces that he loves,” says Dubbeldam, “as well as accommodate his wonderful modern classic furniture.” Accommodation is an understatement: the dining area not only fits Le Corbusier’s substantial 1928 steel and glass LC6 table; it also parades its perfect beauty.
The four-piece Io tea set by Oliver Hemming
is from Fluid Living.
Liang bought the stainless steel vase from Donna Karan Home in New York six years ago.
The honed slate countertops were
supplied by Acme Slate and installed by Caledonia Marble.
Three abstracts were painted by May Wu.
Liang doesn’t cook (“I just speed-dial”), but he does have a passion for Alessi. The Il Conico kettle was bought in Montreal in 1987.
The Marcel Breuer dining chairs of bent tubular steel and canvas are from Palazzetti.
The Le Corbusier LC6 dining table is from Palazzetti.
Photography by Tom Arban
